Bullrun Rally - Run With The Bulls

Of the many high-end luxury lifestyle rallies that are popping up across North America and the UK, I think the Bullrun Rally is one of the most balls-to-the-wall rallies out there. Each year, a hundred of the world's finest supercars embark on an epic 4000 mile, eight-day rolling party across the USA - bringing together celebrities, adrenaline junkies and “petrosexuals” for an unforgettable adventure - where the only obligatory goals are to party, drive and enjoy!

Many people recognize the name Bullrun thanks to the reality TV show based on the Bullrun Rally. In the show, 12 teams competed in driving challenges ranging from chasing down a flaming bus, to navigating an obstacle course in a parking garage. We can only assume that the Bullrun Rally is equally as fun as the show looks.

Unlike the majority of these kinds of rallies, not just any fool with money and a nice car can join Bullrun. The rally is invitation only and is limited to 100 cars. Once invitations are sent, the limited spots are strictly first-come, first-served. The exclusivity and luxury style of the rally has attracted numerous celebrity personalities such as Dennis Rodman, Mario Andretti, Kim Kardashian, Ryan Dunn (R.I.P.) and many more.

Quite the line-up..

On top of the limited space and exclusive membership, the entry fee to the rally is $20,000 per car. This covers two drivers’ 5-star accommodations for 7 nights, meals, VIP party access and entry to any Bullrun checkpoints such as racetracks and public events. The rally is so secretive that rally drivers only learn of their destination on the day they are supposed to be there. The Bullrun Live Rally is filmed by Giant Film&TV for a TV show entitled 'Cops, Cars & Superstars’. The show currently airs in 96 countries worldwide and is now in its 8th season.

Bullrun released this teaser 50 days before this years rally starts.
As if participants weren't excited enough.

This year's Bullrun starts on July 8th when the flag drops at Fremont Street in Las Vegas, and ends on July 15th in Miami with a massive finish line party. This rally is most definitely on my to-do list.

Company Spotlight - ADV.1 Wheels

I have always admired people's ability to turn nothing into something - and that's exactly what the guys over at ADV.1 Wheels have done. Even though Advance One may be a new name to the industry, the company's owners and staff have been making their mark in the auto industry for more than 10 years.

When Jordan Swerdloff (President) and Miguel Bolanos (Vice-president) were left with nothing after the takeover of their previous company, they vowed to start fresh and create something that nobody else had. They set out with no money and no support from anybody but themselves to establish a solid company base in 2010. After countless 16-hour days, they have quickly made a reputable name for themselves within the auto industry. It is very clear they are dedicated to their work.

Absolute dedication.

The guys at ADV.1 Wheels attribute a lot of their success to experience. Many of the skills they have now were learned from previous mistakes and problems, which they now say is completely in the past. When they started ADV.1, they knew what not to do, and how to manufacture wheels perfectly. Today, they are one of the leading wheel designers and manufacturers making forged wheels for high-end exotic cars. Not bad considering the company was founded 1 year ago.

ADV.1 + goldRush Rally.

ADV.1 prides itself on the meticulous attention to detail when making a product. They currently offer a wide variety of forged wheels, all of which are not only beautiful, but perfectly functional and durable. As a testament to how high-quality their products are, the company staff have all outfitted their vehicles with their own set of ADV.1 Wheels. Did I mention they all drive awesome cars? I certainly know which company I will be shopping for wheels with when I get my first supercar. Keep up the good work, guys.

BMW 1-Series M - Pretty Meets Performance

Last year I considered the BMW 1-series to be “a girl's car with a guy’s engine inside it”. Apparently someone in a high place at BMW heard me, and created the 1-series M to shut me up - it worked. Before I get into details, I must clarify that I don’t think that the 1-series was lacking in power or performance before the 1M. I think all BMW’s are great driving machines. What had me hesitant to enjoy the 1-series was the rather soft, feminine styling of the car’s body.

For those who feel the same as I do, BMW brings us the much sleeker and much faster performance model of the 1-series, the 1-series M. Not to be confused with the M1, BMW’s 1980’s track car, the 1 M features far more aggressive body styling than the regular 1-series. The front grille has a more track-oriented feel to it, and the 19” alloys give the car a look that just screams “Drive me!”

Much more aggressive than the old 1-series.

As you can see, the 1-series has definitely evolved into a more masculine machine. It is clear that the 1 M is marketed to hardcore hands-on drivers, as there is no automatic transmission option for the car – it’s all stick. Considering the car is outfitted with a rear-diff similar to that of an M3, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thankfully, the modifications to the original 1 don’t stop at exterior styling. If they did, I’m sure this blog post wouldn’t have happened. The 1 M features a 335 horsepower twin-turbo inline six, and weighs under 2000 kg. For those of you trying to do the math in your head, that results in a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds. The car has also been given numerous handling upgrades, turning the 1-series into a track icon. Not impressed yet?

How about now? Insanity ensues around 0:30.

The viral marketing video seen above is what originally inspired me to research and write about the 1-series M. Now that I’ve learned so much about this car, I’m starting to wonder if the 1 M is a better buy than the M3. It may not be faster in a straight line, but I would rather take the smaller 1M based solely on the fact that it would be an absolute thrill to drive. Like its performance predecessors, the M3 and M5, this BMW M is sure to please any car lover who gets their hands on the wheel.

Ken Block - 0-60 in One Year Flat

Thanks to the brilliant viral marketing of DC, Ken Block’s name has become synonymous with one thing in particular: Gymkhana. Gymkhana (Jim-Kah-Nuh) is a relatively new motorsport in which drivers must navigate through a series of obstacles while performing skilled driving maneuvres such as 360’s and figure 8 drifts. With the help of some sponsors, Ken put out a series of impressive viral videos which gave Gymkhana (and his sponsors) a massive boost in popularity – and for good reason!

If this doesn't get your blood moving, check your pulse.

To hardcore rally fans, Ken Block is a legend. In 2005, Block’s first year of professional rallying, Ken was honoured as the Rookie of the Year. Not bad for someone who stepped into a rally car for their first time in 2004.

The next year, the X Games added Rally Racing to their roster of sports. With help from his newest sponsor, Subaru, which happened to land him a beastly WRX STI built by Vermont SportsCar, Ken took home the Bronze medal in his first ever X Games run. The following year, he took home the Silver.

That same year, Ken had his World Rally Championship debut, which today is the highlight event of his career. As of 2010, Block has become a WRC regular with some help of his newest sponsor, Ford. When Subaru dropped out of the WRC (for reasons I still cannot comprehend), Ford made possibly the smartest move of their lifespan, and offered him a rally-tuned Ford Fiesta with their sponsorship.

I'm not usually a Ford fan, but this thing is badass!

I think a large part of Ken Block's popularity can be attributed for his love of absolutely crazy stunts. When I say crazy, I really do mean some crazy s***. Aside from Gymkhana, which is crazy enough as it is, Ken jumped his old Subaru 171 feet for Discovery Channel's Stunt Junkies. It must be nice to have multimillion-dollar sponsors.

When I say crazy...

Today, Ken can be found touring the globe with his Ford Fiesta, kicking up dirt and hooning around corners all over the world. According to Ken’s facebook page, he will be making a “BIG” announcement this Sunday. Considering he is over at the F1 series, speculation and rumours are flying back and forth across the digital landscape. I guess we’ll just have to wait until Sunday.

The goldRush Rally - 5 Days of Pure Gold.

Fast cars, high-class parties and road tripping. That's right - this company is doing exactly what you want to do, and doing it right.

The goldRush Rally is one of several performance and supercar rallies created by companies with the desire to bring the 1980’s Cannonball Run movies to life. Created in partnership with Luxury4Play, a social network and lifestyle brand for everything expensive and fun, the goldRush Rally has gained quite a reputation in its short life of barely 3 years. Despite common misconception, the goldRush brand is not just a rally - it's a lifestyle brand.

Although the rally itself is goldRush’s most highlighted event, the company is present at several events across America. In fact, that recognition among the booming American automotive market is a brilliant part of this company’s success. goldRush gives other like-minded companies a chance to become an official sponsor of the goldRush rally and brand. That way, the companies gain exposure among the rally participants, as well as the luxury lifestyle crowd that it draws. Not to mention the amount of news coverage and social media chatter that this kind of commotion is sure to stir up.

Real "mobile" advertising for sponsors.

The third annual goldRush Rally is less than a week away, but there is still time to register! If you have $7000 and a badass car, you can be registered and on the way to Denver for June 14th when the flag drops at 10:00 am. From there it’s 5 days of driving, exclusive parties and VIP service all the way to L.A. Did I mention the badass cars? Seriously. This is the nicest collection of cars on the road since the Gumball 3000, which happens to have happened just 2 weeks ago.

The goldRush Rally attracts the fastest of the fast. All kinds of Lamborghinis, Porsches and Ferraris can be seen annually on the rally, along with some of my favourites like the Nissan GT-R and the mighty Corvette ZR1. Most of the cars are painted gold or outfitted with gold accents and decals for the rally. Even some of the rally’s participants don gold masks, bandanas and other clothing throughout the event.

Does this look like your life's dream, or what?

Having already gotten a taste of the rally lifestyle while volunteering in the Gumball 3000, the goldRush Rally was on my bucket-list from the moment I heard its name – it just screams “good times”! From the looks of the trailer and previous videos from goldRush Rally members, this looks to be one of the best rallies out there. Considering the company operates out of 4 states already, I have the slightest ray of hope that they might expand into Canada one day. If not, I'll have to head south for some adventure.

Nissan GT-R Black Edition - Godzilla 2.0

Anyone who knows even a little bit about performance cars knows of the mighty Nissan GT-R. The GT-R was created after the death of the Nissan Skyline (GT-R) in 2002. This marvel of Japanese engineering has come a long way since the first skyline rolled off the lot in 1957.

The GT-R, which started production in 2007, has been out on racetracks across the world competing -and winning- against the Audi R8 and the infamous Porsche 911 Turbo. Any hardcore GT-R fan will tell you that the GT-R is the king of the road. Despite the fact that a stock GT-R still isn't the fastest thing on the road, the aftermarket tuning potential of this car gives it the ability to leave Bugatti Veyrons in the dust. That is, if the owner's pockets are deep enough.

A demonstration of the GT-R's power from inside a Bugatti.

For the GT-R fans who aren't satisfied with the old GT-R's stock 485 horsepower, Nissan now offers the Black Edition - A 530 horsepower, 488 lb/ft of torque monster with a 0-60 time around 3 seconds and enough boost to push a golf ball through a garden hose.

Reports indicate that the Black Edition will also come with some interior tweaks such as carbon fiber dash panels and red accents on the black seats. Nissan also offers the Nissan GT-R "egoist" edition in Japan; a more luxurious take on the GT-R complete with red leather interior and carbon fiber accents. Personally, the red leather thing is not my cup of Japanese tea.

Egoist edition red leather interior. Japan only.

The GT-R has been my favourite car for years, and with the new Black Edition hitting North America this year, it's safe to assume it will stay at the top of my list for years to come. I am definitely looking forward to getting my hands (and right foot) on this car so I can see how Nissan's laws-of-physics-defying AWD system handles the boost in power. If there is one car that I will own in matte black, it's this one.

Who am I?

Writer. A writer by every definition of the word. I believe life was meant to be experienced, not witnessed. I've probably already lost my mind, but I'm not going to go looking for it.

Adrenaline junkie. Seeking adrenaline and genuine excitement in various aspects of life has given me the privilege of experiencing some breathtaking things. I have a lengthy bucket-list which seems to get longer all the time, despite crossing goals off on a regular basis.

Driver. A driver driven by enthusiasm. My love for the automotive industry has landed me smack dab in the middle of events such as the Gumball 3000 Rally. If it's fast, loud and sexy, I probably like it.

Most recently, a blogger. Here to share my perspective on new, cool and fast methods of transportation. Sit back, buckle up and enjoy!